Danny Rohl explains reason for instant Youssef Chermiti improvement after Rangers ‘gamble’
Danny Rohl clearly believes that he can get the very best out of Youssef Chermiti after the Rangers signing struggled under Russell Martin.
Ally McCoist labelled Chermiti’s move to Rangers a “gamble” after the club splashed a total of £10million on the former Everton man, making him the third-most expensive signing ever at Ibrox.
Both Hamza Igamane and Cyriel Dessers left Ibrox over the summer, so securing a new centre-forward was vital for the 2025-26 campaign, but very few were persuaded by his arrival.
During his first seven games of the season, the 21-year-old was struggling for minutes, unable to hit the back of the net, and was instantly doubted by the frustrated supporters.
Youssef Chermiti looks like a different player for Rangers
Despite a slow start to life in Scotland, the youngster already has a goal and an assist under Rohl, the former while coming off the bench against Kilmarnock, and the manager believes he has the key to success.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Rohl said: “Youssef, this guy… I must say this. He scored, and I’m not sure we can forget in the last game how he worked against the ball. It was much, much, much better.
“He looked at others, he scanned, and he started to understand the pressing triggers, I think. It was good to see him, and of course, goals help. If you score in such a big game, then it helps more.”
Even Tam McManus accepted defeat over his Rangers criticism, having judged the new manager’s lineup against Hibernian before a ball had been kicked, only to be proven wrong entirely.
Chermiti’s game by numbers vs Hibernian
His performances under Rohl have been night and day from those under Martin, and supporters are beginning to appreciate the impact he has on the team.
While Bojan Miovski also made a return to the Scottish Premiership, his displays have been less than ideal, so Chermiti’s rise to form could not have come at a better time for the Gers.
| Youssef Chermiti vs Hibernian | Stats [FotMob] |
| Minutes played | 77 |
| Goals / Assists | 0 / 1 |
| Chances created | 1 |
| Tackles won | 100% (2/2) |
| Recoveries | 4 |
| Ground duels entered | 13 (46% won) |
| Was fouled / Fouls committed | 4 / 3 |
The Light Blues are now sitting third in the Scottish Premiership table, and although they remain 11 points below first-place Hearts, there is so much more positivity and belief around Ibrox now.
Of course, there is still an eye-watering amount of work left for Rohl to do, but if current trends continue, he is likely to last much longer than his predecessor.